Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Dues & User Fees

[Sarah M Dinham (sdinham]

Manzanita Village strategy:

We are a new neighborhood in our first fiscal year of operation as a
Homeowners' Association.  We have 11 occupied houses of the planned 36.

Homeowners' dues are 100/month.  We struck a deal with the local cable
company; all members on cable pay 16/month to the HOA and the treasurer
pays the cable company.  Laundry is reimbursed to the HOA at $.50 per
washer and dryer load, and the guest space fee is $5 per person per night,
usually paid by the resident host, but waived for prospective
buyers.  After a half year of rotating common-house-cleaning duties, we
just last night decided to pay a cleaner-person from outside the village
to clean twice monthly, and we'll straighten up in between.

A previous writer was right: nickel-diming one another is divisive (and
annoying to the HOA treasurer, yours truly!) and contrary to the spirit of
sharing.  Yet, when the asset being used consumes water/electricity, for
example, user-funding seems appropriate.

Incidentally, we have developed our cohousing village without the
involvement of a developer.  We will be participating in a breakout
session on that topic in Berkeley.

Sarah C from Prescott

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